More than 15,000 insurance claims including 1,800 car collisions have been reported due to the storm.

“Insured losses from storms such as this one are increasing rapidly,” said Kim Donaldson, Ontario’s Vice-President of the Insurance Bureau of Canada. “A generation ago, insurers paid out - on average - about $400 million a year in today’s dollars across Canada on weather-related costs. Now that number often tops $1 billion a year, and sometimes it goes much higher.”

This past year in Ontario alone, there has been over $600 million in damage from weather-related events, according to the IBC.

IBC says that because of changing spring weather conditions now, it is important to know if your policies have flood protection, which is a major threat with spring runoff.

IBC is the national association representing Canada’s home, auto and business insurers. It has total premiums of over $52 billion.